Windlass-operating mechanism.



C. S. ALDRICH.

WINDLASS OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1908. RENEWED JAN. 20.1915.

1,150,800., Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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l# firmft /5 5i? UNTTED STATEd FATENT @FFTQE CHESTER S. ALDRIGI-L'OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO EDWIN GRAY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WINDLASS-OPERATING MECILANISIVI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed December 9, 1908, Serial No. 466,591. Renewed January 20, 1915. SerialNo. 3,394.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that l, CHnsrnn S. ALDRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Vlassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in iVindlass-Opcrating Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates especially to vessels windlasses and its main object is to provide a power attachment of a simple nature which can be applied to any Windlass designed for being operated by hand power.

Another object of this invention is to provide a windlass operating mechanism which will not require chains or gears as operating devices between the main driving shaft and the windlass attachment, thus obviating the noise and danger incident to the use of such means; but more especially obviating also the necessity of locating the engine and main driving shaft in near proximity to the windlass or even on approximately the same level.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the length of the alter nate up and down movements of the windlass arms can be varied easily and at the will of the operator.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a plan view showing the motor, main driving shaft, pumping cylinders, Windlass, and lifting cylinders in position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

1 represents an engine or motor of approved design operatively connected to the sprocket wheel 4 by means of sprocket wheel 2 and chain 3. Sprocket wheel 4 engages the main driving shaft'5 throughthe friction clutch 6.

7 and 8 are eccentrics set with centers (180 degrees apart) on opposite sides of the main shaft 5, which operates them through jaw clutches 9 and 10 respectively.

Rigidly connected to the straps of eccentrics 7 and 8 are the rods 11 and 12 respectively (Fig. 2) which are pivotally connected at their lower ends with pistons or plungers fitted to the cylinders 13 and 1 1 respectively hereinafter called the pumping cylinders. These pistons or plungers are reciprocated alternately by the motion of their eccentrics 7 and 8 and comprise two reciprocating pumps.

15 and 16 are pipes to conduct the hydraulic fluid from the outlets of the pumping cylinders 18 and 1% to the inlets of the cylinders 17 and 18 respectively (hereinafter called the lifting cylinders) which latter are independent of each other in operation, that is there is no fluid connection between them.

or through grip wheels as is customary in this style of windlass.

The pumping cylinder being directly connected with the lifting cylinder, that is, with no valves for controlling the direction of movement of the hydraulic fluid, the downward movement of the pump piston will force the fluid through the connection and into the lifting cylinder, causing the plunger in the latter to make its upward or power stroke. As the pump plunger rises the fluid will move in the opposite direction through the connections and the lifting plunger will make its downward or idle stroke. Since there are novalves to complica-te the mechanism and which are liable to derangement, an exceedingly simple construction is provided which may be successively operated by unskilled persons.

The fact that the plunger in the pumping cylinder 13-moves downward while the plunger in the pumping cylinder 12 moves upward causes the plunger in the lifting cylinder 17 to move upward on the working stroke while the one in cylinder 18 moves downward on the idle stroke. This alternation of the movements of the lifting plungers duplicates the motion of the hand operated Windlass and equalizes the work as evenly as is possible throughout the rotation of the main driving shaft -5.

23 is a reservoir built around the top of the pumping cylinder 13 to collect the fluid which may leak up around and'be carried upward by the moving plunger, and is connected to the pipe 15 through the pipe 24 tached to cylinder 14 and pipe 16.

and the check valve 25 (Fig. 1) which latter is so constructed that the weight of the check is balanced by the weight of the column of hydraulic fiuid in pipe 24 (Figs.

1 and 2). This check valve opens toward the pipe and during the suction stroke the pipe 2 1 contains only air the weight of the check is suflicient to keep the valve closed against the suction in the pipe 15 which is of small amount due to the fact that the Windlas arms 21 and 22 are sufficiently heavy so that the lifting pistons follow down very closely upon the receding fluid.

26 and 27, Fig. 1, is a similar device at- This could also be attached to the lifting cylinders'l'Z and 18 if required.

28 and 29 are chambers of suitable capacity connected with the pipes 15 and 16 respectively, being partly filled with the hydraulic fluid, acting as reservoirs as hereinafter-set forth, and filled in the upper portions with air which acts as a shock absorber for the liquid system. At the tops of these chambers 28 and 29 are connected safety blow ofi valves 30 and 31 set'to blow at the maximum pressure at which the hy draulic fluid is intended to be operated, so;

that if this pressure is exceeded in case of an overload not only is a warning whistle blown, but apart of the air escapes-from the top of the chamber 28 or 29. lhis'l'ea'ves less fluid to be pumpedto the lifting cylinders thereby shortening their strokeand reducing the amount of Work done per stroke on the Windlass and giving themechanism a better purchase on the load.

32 and 33 are priming cups of ordinary construction connected with the air spaces inchambers 28 and 29. These cups can be opened during a suction stroke to admit air thus increasing the stroke of the lifting plun'gers, or opened during a pressure stroke to let air escape and thus shorten the stroke of the lifting plunger-s. The cups 32 and 38 can also be used to add more fluid to the system if required. 7

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new is 1. In a liquid power transmission device, the combination with a pumping cylinder of a reciprocating piston therein, a power cylinder and its piston, direct connections between the pumping and the power cylinders for conducting the liquid therebetween,

an air chamberdirectly communicating with the connections, and means for Varying the amount of airin the chamber to regulate the length of stroke of the power piston, substantially as described. Y

2. In a liquid power transmission device, the combination with a pumping cylinder of a reciprocating piston therein, a powercylinder and its piston, a driven shaft, connections includinga one-direction clutch between the'power piston and'the shaft,'a pipe between the pumping and the power cylinders for conducting the liquid'therebetween, an air chamber connected withthe pipe, and means for varying the amount'of air in the chamber to regulate the extent of rotational movement ofthe shaft for-each stroke of the pumpingpiston,substantially as described. 1

3. In a liquid powertransmission device,

the combination with a pumping 'cylinderof a reciprocating pistontherein, a power cylinder'and its piston, a pipe directly connecting the pumping and the power cylinders,

and means for varying the length of stroke of the power piston without varying the, length of stroke of the pumping piston and 7 without varying the quantity of liquid in the system,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses. l

CHESTER S. ALDRICH. Witnesses: r

FRED O. FISH, MARGARET L. GILMAN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents.

" WashingtomD. G. 

